Neighbourhood Watch (Safer Neighbourhood Team)

Sheep Worrying and the Law: Looking outside it may seem a long way off but it will not be long before there are spring lambs in the fields. It is an offence to allow a dog to worry sheep. Worrying includes attacking or chasing sheep and, in some circumstances, farmers are legally entitled to shoot dogs if they are endangering their sheep. They are also entitled to claim for loss and injury. Dog walkers should keep their animals on a lead in the vicinity of any livestock. For more information seebit.ly/WP_sheepworrying

Cybertip: Watch out for fake NatWest text messages appearing in message threads. Fraudsters are using specialist software which alters the sender ID on the message so that it appears as if it has come from NatWest, adding it to any existing message threads on the recipient's phone. For more information see bit.ly/fake_text

Share: Please share your scam/crime experiences with your neighbours – email watch@fcvh.org.uk or post on NextDoor nextdoor.co.uk. Read this and much more in The Stratford District NW Blog - stratfordnw.blogspot.co.uk

Reporting Speeding, Bad or Dangerous Driving:

Warwickshire Police receive around 25 calls every day from people reporting bad driving. Often the information given to police by witnesses or victims is not enough to prosecute the offender. Do you have the registration number of the vehicle(s) and the details of any independent witnesses? Are you prepared to go to court to support proceedings? If you answer "yes" to these questions you should complete the form on this page bit.do/baddriving Forms also available from your co-ordinator. If you would be interested in joining a Speedwatch team please contact watch@fcvh.org.uk or text 07850 630 401. For more information see bit.do/speedwatch

Southam/Feldon Community Forum:

The next meeting is on Wednesday 13th December at Bishops Itchington Community Centre CV47 2RN. Police Surgery at 6.30pm; Main meeting at 7pm.Everyone is welcome to come along, and it is your chance to find out what is really going on in your community.

House/Car Crime:

Break ins have increased markedly in the last 12 months. For advice on prevention visit the ‘We don't buy crime' page and links on the Warwickshire Police website - bit.do/wpcrime For help and advice on property marking contact your coordinator. Often homes are burgled primarily for the keys to the car on the drive so do not leave them in a convenient place like the hall table.

Cybersafe:

On-line safety advice for both parents and children twitter.com/NCCcybersafe

Bogus Debt Collection Letters:

Residents are warned to beware of bogus debt col-lection letters which purport to come from HMRC. Never respond to bogus letters. If you believe a letter is genuinely from HMRC, contact the sender using a publicly listed telephone number, email or postal address.Please share your scam/crime experiences with your neighbours.

Wildlife Crime:

Any evidence of hare coursing and lamping should be reported to the police as soon as possible. For information on what to look out for and how to become a Warwickshire Wildlife Watcher see bit.do/WWildlife

Twitter:

Twitter. is one way to receive advice and information from Warwickshire Police. Try following @warkpolice, @stratfordcops and @SouthamCops

NHW Community Alerts

Community Alerts is a new initiative that permits anyone to receive alerts in the same way as NHW coordinators. By joining the Warwickshire Police crime prevention unit by simply supplying your email address, you will receive crime alerts as soon as they are available, thus enabling you to contact your friends and relatives in your community and hopefully nail the bad guys before they do further damage. Please go to:

New Safeguarding Website

See www.safeguardingwarwickshire.co.uk

Bogus Calls

Fraudsters are pretending to be Police Officers in order to steal bank account information, Warwickshire Training Standards understands. Member of the public have reported several incidents where they have received phone calls from people claiming to be Police Officers investigating crime involving their bank cards. The callers are then asked for bank card details, including long numbers, sort codes, the security number on the back and PINs. The information is then used to scam them out of thousands of pounds. No Police Force will ever ask you for bank details in this way. Never divulge any bank/card information to people who phone you. If you believe the caller is genuine, ask to phone back using a publicly listed telephone number.

Bogus Traders

Warwickshire Police advise on how to protect yourself from bogus traders: Do not be forced into making a quick decision on your doorstep. Get at least three quotes from local reputable companies who have reputations to maintain, and if possible seek recommendations. If you do not want to speak to a trader do not open your door to them - it can be hard to distinguish the good traders from the cowboys so it might be easier to keep the door closed. Do not allow uninvited callers into your home. Refuse to be taken to the bank to withdraw money - if you ever feel intimidated by them, close the door and call the police.